Alabama abduction: Boy still held in underground bunker

[TomCADem]

Source: LA Times

Police negotiated through a 4-inch ventilation pipe Friday with the suspected gunman holding a 5-year-old boy hostage in an underground bunker in rural southeast Alabama, four days after a man shot and killed a bus driver while abducting the boy from a school bus.

The man, believed to be Jimmy Lee Dykes, 65, remained holed up with the boy in a bunker that police said was equipped with food, electricity and a working TV near a rural road in tiny Midland City. Police have provided no motive for the shooting or abduction, but neighbors have described Dykes as a menacing figure who would confront them angrily over minor incidents.

* * *
“His friends and his neighbors stated that he did not trust the government, that he was a Vietnam vet, and that he had PTSD,” Byrd said, according to the center. “He was standoffish;, didn’t socialize or have any contact with anybody. He was a survivalist type.”

Neighbors have told reporters that Dykes lived in a camping trailer on the dirt road, not far from the site of the bunker. James Davis Jr., the neighbor’s son allegedly menaced by Dykes, has said in TV interviews that Dykes told him he built it as a tornado shelter.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-alabama-kidnap-bus-driver-20130201,0,1369250.story

---

Another right wing, gun nut, doomsday prepper goes crazy.

[Skittles]

1. sounds like an NRA posterboy

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

2. Another psychopath who should have been permanently institutionalized decades ago

And like every other flavor of the week psycho has a public history of threatening behavior that decades ago would have been more than enough to be committed.

[VA_Jill]

32. Or he could have

ended up like one Ken McElroy of Skidmore, MO. This can happen when people get damn sick and tired of someone's behavior:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/us/16bully.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[Scairp]

44. Oh come on

This isn't even like that at all. I know that case very well and McElroy ran rampant for decades without consequences and I've not heard this man did anything violent until fairly recently, and only against what he saw as a perceived threat. McElroy robbed, poached, raped, burned down houses and even shot people he thought were messing with his criminal activities so not even close. He also had an attorney who assisted him in staying out of prison so there's that.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Can't believe this is still going on...

That poor little kid...

[Chorophyll]

4. This is effing horrendous.

And it's emblematic of so many failures on the part of this country: a veteran with PTSD (at the very least) not being cared for, armed, threatening, and walking around free.

[mikeysnot]

30. Support the troops.

I guess that only means wearing a flag lapel pin, waving American flags and yellow ribbons made in china and worshiping warfare....

[Chorophyll]

31. Apparently.

[FarCenter]

37. "cared for"? I don't believe that he wanted to be cared for.

[Chorophyll]

38. Perhaps not, but he needed some psychiatric care whether he wanted it or not.

At minimum, once he started threatening his neighbors he should have been placed somewhere, right?

[FarCenter]

42. Right, he should have been involuntarily committed or charged with assault and imprisoned

[Chorophyll]

52. That works for me.

Why do I get the feeling you're lecturing me or something? The guy is allegedly a vet; if we had decent services in this country he wouldn't have been running around loose menacing people.

[yardwork]

5. Note how little attention this is getting in the national media.

Compare to the attention given to the balloon boy and other stories about children. Remember when the little girl fell down the pipe? 24/7 coverage. This time, practically no coverage.

Why is that?

[SemperEadem]

6. because they can't call attention

to the fact that law enforcement has basically allowed this man to terrorize his neighbors for decades because his rights to be menacing were far more important than the rights of that community to feel safe. He most likely could have been snatched up under the patriot act, but God forbid a dangerous white male gun owner with a history of menacing behavior be labeled as a domestic terrorist... now, an innocent 5 year old boy has to suffer trauma and terror in a dirt hole in the ground with this man because of their inaction.

It's clear that children really aren't worth protecting when it comes to law enforcement.

[yardwork]

8. Good point about the Patriot Act. Lots of innocent people have been tortured

but this man was allowed to terrorize a community for decades.

[go west young man]

25. Ironically i found out about this sad story

from my wife's parents who are Russian. They asked me about it on Skype as they had seen it on RUSNovosti, a Russian TV channel. Our thoughts are with that poor boy. Fox News and the right wing fear mongers are complicit in this child's suffering and should be ashamed for fueling this beast.

[backtoblue]

7. it's also possible that

law enforcement doesn't want to give too many details because he has a television in the bunker. I don't know if he has cable/satellite or not, but giving too much information over the media could hinder the FBI's negotiations efforts.

[yardwork]

9. That would never stop the info-news media if they wanted to cover this story.

Fox News would be on this story 24/7, regardless of what LE wanted, if the story fit their agenda. It doesn't. They want to hide this story.

[backtoblue]

12. so what is your theory as to why they aren't covering it?

This is a very volitile situation, the safety of the little boy is paramount and the only reason they haven't gased the crazy man out. I can't see any other reason as to why the story isn't being covered extensively by all news organizations.

This tragedy is still ongoing and any information that the man gets only makes it worse. As for the other tragedies recently covered, the damage had mostly already been rendered so I believe it is for the child's safe return.

[TomCADem]

14. It Does Not Fit Into The Narrative Of Blaming Video Games

It contradicts the corporate media narrative. Instead of video games, you would find a guy motivated by Fox News/NRA hysteria about the government taking away his guns. Well, you know what? Apparently, this guy was ready.

[yardwork]

40. It may be wise to limit media coverage of this case, but Fox News is ignoring it for another reason.

The answers are elsewhere in this thread. The media downplays violence committed by white men with guns.

[LizW]

10. This is true

My brother is working this case. They are keeping the media far away and trying to limit what goes out over television. They don't want to enrage the guy, who is really nuts, and has already committed capital murder, so he has nothing to loose. They are pulling way back and just waiting. They want him to eventually believe that it will be better for him to come out than to stay in. I believe they are not showing mom on the tv because they don't want to upset the child, any more than he already is.

[backtoblue]

13. my heart goes out to your brother as well as the little boy

It must be one of the most difficult situations to be in and with every ounce of my being I hope this turns out with a safe child and an apprehended crazy man.

[LizW]

18. Thanks, backtoblue

It is agonizing for the FBI and other officers, as well as the community. They can hear the child crying for his mother, and it is heartbreaking, but at least they know he is alive.

[freshwest]

50. Oh, Liz. At least they care very much and I hope they can save him from this beast.

[yardwork]

41. Please tell your brother that millions of us appreciate what he is doing.

It's difficult for me to think about this without getting very upset. I really appreciate the professionals who are doing everything they can to save the little boy.

[onenote]

36. The difference between this situation and a child falling down a pipe or the balloon boy story

is so obvious that to compare the two is totally absurd. Media coverage of a child caught in a pipe or (allegedly) trapped in a balloon posed no threat to the child's safety. Media intrusion into this story could be fatal for the child.

Get it?

[yardwork]

39. What I get is that the U.S. has a very high tolerance for gun violence.

Got it?

[onenote]

43. Thank you Dr. Non-Sequitur.

[Scairp]

45. Again, not even the same

That child fell down a hole. That was an accident. The so-called "balloon boy" was a hoax. This is a crime being committed against a child. And there is plenty of coverage, considering they have very little to say from day to day except that he still has the kid in this homemade bunker. Plus they have no idea what kind of information he is getting from remote wireless internet or a cell phone with internet access or just a radio so I imagine they must be careful what they say publicly. They are fairly helpless because the best they can hope for is to be able to talk him out of there without the kid being harmed, assuming he hasn't been already. We can only hope at this point.

[lunasun]

53. Why is that?

What they have long been known to spew is coming back in their face now.
Rather no one see the mess too much or too often on the tube

[valerief]

11. If only the lunatic had guns, this never would have happened.

[question everything]

15. Grab the survivalists first

In recent discussions some of us wondered whether any loner, or someone who visits - I don't know, happy guns - websites should be considered a dangerous person who could explode and kill some people.

I think that those survivalists are a lot more dangerous. Really round them up and put them in bunkers surrounded by walls and wire fence.

We can lower them food and they can watch all the TV and crazy websites that they want.

[Incitatus]

16. .

[TeeYiYi]

17. What is his relationship to the boy?...

Does he know the boy or the boy's family? Any speculation on why he kidnapped him or why he's holding him hostage?

TYY

[LizW]

19. Random

Except that these are the children of his neighbors. He knew where the bus stopped every afternoon and planned this. The other children on the bus were able to quickly jump out the back emergency door while he was shooting the driver, but little Ethan is autistic and either did not move quickly enough, or passed out (stories differ) and the man grabbed him.

[TeeYiYi]

21. Thank you...

I don't have television so I haven't kept up on the details of this story.

Maybe the boy recognized him and didn't try to run...

TYY

[sasha031]

28. thank you for the updates

you've provided more information than the media, extremely volatile situation.
It's very understandably why everyone is remaining tight lipped.
Prayers for the child and family and for all those involved.

[Scairp]

46. Plus he's five years old

I imagine even a child that age without any kind of disabilities would have frozen in their tracks. He was probably the only kid within grabbing range and that's why he took this particular kid. I read that he demanded the bus driver give him two children but that was very early and as events were still being shaken out so I don't know if that's true. I don't know why he thought the driver, whom he apparently knew at least a little bit, would just hand over children in his charge but then who can ever know what someone so delusional and paranoid is thinking would happen when he jumped on the bus with a gun. I think any bus driver would have done exactly what this driver did even with a gun pointed at them.

[freshwest]

51. I don't think there was any. The man just wanted a child as a shield. He'd tried to grab others,

but the bus rider resisted. He killed him in front of the children and this poor little boy fainted in shock. He grabbed him and ran off with him. It's just horrible.

[drm604]

20. This is so sad.

Why are these maniacs targeting children?

[arely staircase]

24. because it is the most shocking and horrific thing they can do.

wanna freak out society across the board? do something spectacularly dangerous or destructive to children.

now how someone gets to the point that that is what they want to do is another matter. but it is actually fairly logical from a violent, psychotic, malevolent point of view.

[polly7]

22. Awww ... I was hoping to see the little boy had been released this morning.

I don't understand at all why Dykes is keeping him, he must realize he's got no good options himself, either way. Just beyond cruel.

[Comrade Grumpy]

23. It would interfere with Headline News' obsessive coverage of the Jodi Arrias murder trial.

For some unfathomable reason, Headline News is all over that case.

[VA_Jill]

33. S-E-X

that's why. This case has none of that.

[Scairp]

47. Not related

But seriously, I keep seeing headlines about this murder trial somewhere, New Mexico is it? And I frankly am perplexed as to why a run of the mill murder case is getting so much national attention. Can you explain it to me because I just don't get it. I have no time to read about such shite.

[kiranon]

26. Tell him asteroid safely passed by and he can come out now.

Would work with his paranoia rather than against it to try to get him to come out. Poor child that is stuck in there with him. Hope the "survivalist" does no harm.

[Flashmann]

27. The outcome I'd like to see,ends with

The little boy being safely returned to his parents,foremost.....The gun nut being disarmed...Then allowing the boys father a few minutes of "quality alone time",with gun nut,before he's jailed for murdering the bus driver and kidnapping...

[obama2terms]

29. Poor child

I hope he gets out of this alive,

[RTick]

34. I would like to know more.

I have a feeling this guy (Dykes) is making demands but the news is not being told much about it. Dykes has told his neighbors he's a Vietnam vet with PTS. LOL! I doubt that. He's disturbed for sure, but Vietnam was forty or fifty years ago. I suspect substance abuse has more impact on his state of mind now. A more accurate acronym might be TGNBS. (teabilly gun nut on bath salt) All the teabilly gun nuts are in a frenzy over recent talk about gun control. He's just the first one to go over the edge. He's probably got a copy of "the turner diaries" down there in his bunker too! I think he took a hostage simply for attention. He wants people to listen to him; probably writing some stupid teabilly manifesto right now. I can't wait to see it! He's got his bunker and his assault weapon and now he's holding off the Obama government. It's like some deranged teabilly gun nut vacation he's been planning since the election. Hostage negotiators are talking with him and I'm sure they know what they're doing. I just wish they would tell us more about what he's saying.

[uppityperson]

35. Viet Nam war was 1959-1975 and there are many vets still around. He is 65 and could easily be one.

Born in 47, turned 18 in 65. Yup, right in the time of the Viet Nam war.

[Scairp]

48. I believe the Navy confirmed his service

And I'm quite sure almost everyone from that war who is suffering from PTSD does not tell people that they are. Maybe the VA said it or maybe people just came up with a theory based on his combat service. Who knows but I don't see a man that age telling anyone anything like that.

[u4ic]

54. Untreated, PTSD is for life

and many struggle even with treatment.

I had an uncle who, 60 yrs after WWII, would still wake up from nightmares about it. He would be reduced to a whimpering child if he heard a car backfire or anything that sounded like gunfire.

One doesn't need to have been through war to have it, either. Severe trauma or abuse can trigger it as well.

This is not to excuse Dykes, but it's a huge reason why access to mental health treatments are imperative.

[RTick]

55. 47%

I read somewhere that 47% of people will have mental health issues at some point in their lives. I had a girlfriend who was bi-polar. She lived with me for something like five years. When I first got to know her she didn't drink or do drugs. She went to church on sundays and volunteered with "meals on wheels" two days a week. She had her act together pretty good until she started using cocaine. Eventually I had to move out of my own house to get away from her. I'm not an expert, but I know from experience how substance abuse can magnify mental health issues. I'm just speculating here about Dykes, but so far the story reminds me of my ex.

[u4ic]

56. Some people may self medicate

and trigger a relapse/downfall.

47% at some point in their lifetimes with mental health issues ecompasses a lot. Some people may have depression that is situational. Some may have clinical depression. Some people may have anxiety. Some people may have bi-polar, schizophrenia, etc.

Even grief (for eg over a death) is sometimes fit into the mental health category.

However, bi-polar is not PTSD. Angry outbursts and paranoia (sans alcohol or drugs) are symptoms for some with PTSD. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/DS00246/DSECTION=symptoms

[RTick]

57. still not sure

I'm still not convinced PTSD has that much to do with Dykes's recent behavior; or if he even has PTSD. We still just don't know what's in his medical records. I'd like to know if he's ever been diagnosed with any psychological disorder. I haven't heard anything new on the story. I just hope this ends without anyone else getting hurt. The hostage negotiators sure have a hard job here. I imagine they need to convince Dykes he still has a reason to live. If they're honest with him, he must know by now he's in a lot of trouble.

[Sunlei]

49. The poor child, the other children, the bus driver, all the families and neighbors.

The weak ass laws in some states where it's not a gun losing felony to menace people with a gun, the animal cruelty where he beat a dog to death is let go without even charges by the local police. All the red flags that show a person is a danger to society and themselves given a pass by weakass state laws. The state and the gun sellers hand them guns.

[raccoon]

58. I bet anything he's also an active alcoholic. nt